Page 21 of With Love

Marshall

Over the past week, Adrienne and I have been spending more time with one another doing some of the things that we used to love doing together. We’ve started cooking together, watching movies, and playing cards. We’ve been taking walks. It’s been wonderful. My soul is still torn apart over what happened, but each time I get to see my girl smile, hear her laugh, feel her touch, it begins to heal a little.

Ever since we left the rehab center, I’ve been itching to have a more private meeting with Owen, but I am also worried about the information he tells me. I need answers and there is no way that I will be able to get them with Adrienne there. I told her that I have some errands to run. I feel horrible lying and going behind her back, but I can’t tell her anything until I know what Owen’s motives were.

When I arrive, I meet Dr. Herbert once again and we start the long journey from the lobby of the hospital to room 7275, where Owen is. Dr. Herbert knocks on the door and I hear Owen answer from the other side.

“Good morning, Mr. Branch. How are you feeling today?” The doctor asks him.

“I’m feeling a lot better. When can I get out--” he stops mid-sentence when he sees me walk through the door behind the doctor.

“Mr. Trent, hi,” he begins as his eyes search the empty doorway behind me. “Where is Adrienne?”

“She couldn’t make it this time. I believe there are some things that we need to discuss with one another and, I’m sure you’ll agree, its best that she’s not here for this conversation?” I look between Owen and the doctor.

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Dr. Herbert says as he leaves, shutting the door behind him.

Owen pushes the button to raise the back of his bed up more.

“Look, I know what you’re going to say,” Owen starts.

“Oh? And what’s that?” I ask.

“You want to know why we were headed to Curacao instead of meeting up with you like we had planned.”

“You better have a damn good explanation,” I answer.

“I was worried that Lock would find out and come after us.”

“That makes no sense. How is it any different flying to Curacao than it is flying to Texas? If he were going to find you in one place, he could very well find you in another.”

“I just thought it would be harder if we were out of the country.”

“I can understand that, but why wouldn’t you contact me? You were told to do so several times leading up to when you got her out of there, but you never did. Why?”

“Lock was always watching me. He always had a man on me. He stopped trusting me a long time ago.”

“You told me several times that him and his top men were constantly out of the country. That they took her with them. You would have had plenty of chances to let me in on your secret plan while they were away. I may even have agreed with you. Did you ever think of that? I could have met you anywhere. I had a solid plan, but I trusted you with her life and if you thought it would have been safer to meet somewhere else, I would have done so.”

Silence.

“What aren’t you telling me, Branch?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t know if you could be trusted.”

“She’s my wife!”

“Yeah, well Lock claimed the same thing and treated her like shit. I don’t know you. I don’t know if your intentions were pure either.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it! You were the one who reached out to me from the beginning, before that sick son of a bitch took her in the first place.”

“Well, I had to be sure. I care too much about her to see her hurting anymore.”

I take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of my nose trying to will the ever-growing ache in my head away.

“Tell me about the trips out of the country. Why couldn’t my team ever locate information regarding any of those trips? We may have been able to intercept them. It would have been easier to do that in a place where he doesn’t have home field advantage.”

“I have no idea! I swear! You know how much money and power he has. The security team within his inner circle are some of the brightest and most ruthless people I’ve ever met. You have no idea what they are capable of.”

I really don’t want to believe him, but I can’t prove anything at the moment.

“I suggest that you get in contact with anyone you know who can save your ass when you get out of here. I promise you, it won’t be me. I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you and it won’t be long before Lock finds you. It’s time that my wife and I get on with our lives once again.”

“Adrienne will never let me go out there alone. You should know your wife better than that. I guess you don’t really know who she is anymore. Not like I do,” he cocks his eyebrow as a smug grin forms on his face.

Just as I get ready to attack him, his nurse knocks on the door and walks into the room.

“You’re lucky,” I growl, glaring at him with hatred before turning and walking out of the room.

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